Think Montenegro Will Be Persuaded.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 25, 1913:
Diplomats in London Hopeful, but King Nicholas Is Still Defiant.
ULTIMATUM FROM AUSTRIA
Immediate Joint Action Against Montenegro, or She Will Act Alone — Slump on Berlin Boerse.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Friday, April 25.— The Austro-Hungarian Government's dispatch calling upon the powers to take action against Montenegro, will be considered at a meeting of the Ambassadors in London to-day.
    London opinion regarding the outlook continues optimistic. It is pointed out that the Austro-Hungarian dispatch was sent under the first impression of the fall of Scutari, and before it was made clear that the powers had unanimously decided not to let the event affect their decision that Scutari must remain Albanian. The powers will doubtless formally warn King Nicholas to that effect within a day or two. It is believed that there are means of persuasion and pressure by which, without recourse to armed coercion, Montenegro can be brought to submit to the decision of Europe.
    St. Petersburg dispatches report fresh demonstrations there, but the Russian Government is checking all disorderly manifestations.
    According to a Vienna dispatch, Cettinje telegrams announce that King Nicholas delivered a speech to the crowd which fêted him, in which he said: "Scutari is Montenegro's from to-day," concluding with the words, "Long live Montenegrin Scutari!"
    King Nicholas yesterday had a long conversation with the Russian Military Commissioner, Gen. Potapoff, in which his Majesty is alleged to have said that the fall of Scutari had created a new situation, which would have to be reckoned with. Everywhere the joy in the whole land at the taking of the city was as profound as the grief would be if the people thought Scutari would be taken away again. No one, said the King, would dare express that thought in Montenegro to-day, neither the Government nor he would be listened to by the people. If Europe, declared the King, still thought of taking away Scutari, for which Montenegro had bled almost to death, Europe would be forced to carry out the operation herself.

    CONSTANTINOPLE, April 24.— Esaad Pasha, the Turkish commander at Scutari, has reported to the Porte that he surrendered the town in consequence of the exhaustion of the provisions and on the conditions that his troops were allowed to depart with arms and ammunition and were authorized to embark immediately at San Giovanni di Medua.

    BERLIN, April 24.—Austria-Hungary telegraphed to all the great Powers yesterday demanding that they send an ultimatum ordering Montenegro to evacuate Scutari within forty-eight hours, according to an unconfirmed despatch from Vienna to the Zeitung-am-Mittag. Otherwise. Austria declares, she will, with her allies, take steps to protect her political interests.
    There are many indications here to-day of the seriousness with which the German Government and public regard the European situation, which, according to a high diplomatic official, has entered another crisis as grave as that which preceded the Austro-Russian demobilization. The press bureau of the German Foreign Office, contrary to its custom, was not prepared to-day with a statement either in regard to the ultimatum to Montenegro or to the general situation. An official, however, said he believed it probable that force would ultimately have to be employed to expel the Montenegrins, who, it is thought, will not retire from Scutari voluntarily or in return for a loan or compensation elsewhere.
    It is the official view here that all the European powers will work together until the problem has been solved.
    A feeling of consternation and helplessness was displayed at yesterday's conference of the powers' Ambassadors in London, according to advices received here. The representatives of all the nations, including Russia, agreed that the decision of the powers concerning Scutari must be adhered to and enforced, but all were nonplussed by the question how Montenegro was to be coerced.
    Dr. von Bethmann-Hillweg, the Impierial Chancellor, and Herr von Jagow, the Foreign Minister, visited the Budget Committee of the Imperial Parliament to-day in order to make a confidential communication to its members in relation to the international situation.
    The proceedings of the secret session of the Budget Committee, from which, contrary to usage, all the other Deputies were excluded, have been kept strictly confidential. The Lokal Anzeiger, however, says it has learned that the statement made by the Imperial Chancellor led the committee to decide to begin the discussion of the Military bills to-morrow instead of postponing them, as was proposed, until May 19.
    The Kaiser's cancellation of his proposed trip on the Imperator and his determination to return to Berlin from Homburg on April 28 are attributed in well-informed quarters to the crisis brought about by the fall of Scutari.
    The stock market to-day was demoralized by the fears of grave political complications. Investors and speculators started realizing at the opening. Then prices slightly recovered on the strength of Premier Asquith's speech and on The London Times's editorial insisting upon an Albanian Scutari. The market again broke later on, and there was heavy selling on the report from Vienna that Austria had demanded that the powers send an ultimatum to Montenegro.

    ROME, April 24.— Representations have been made to Montenegro, it became known here to-day, in which the attention of the Cettinje Government is called to the fact that all the Balkan States have bowed to the decision of the powers, inspired by the supreme interests of Europe.
    Bulgaria, it was pointed out to the Montenegrin Government, had renounced her decision to continue the movement of her army toward Constantinople; Servia had given up the seaport of Durazzo; Greece had abstained from permanently occupying the town of Valona, and Montenegro must evacuate Scutari.
    Such a move in the part of Montenegro, it is considered here, would not imply any loss of dignity after her occupation of the city. If the European powers grave way in the matter of Scutari, it is affirmed, the other Balkan States also would have the right to realize their aspirations. Italy, close followers of the Balkan situation declare, was ready to go to war rather than allow Greece to occupy Valona, and Australia also would rather go to war than allow a change in the boundary of Northern Albania, as arranged by the London Ambassadorial conference. Consequently, the Cettinje Government, it is understood, has been told that it would be impossible to allow a European conflagration simply to please Montenegro.
    It appears that Austria-Hungary is determined to act alone if she is not backed up by the other powers in obtaining the evacuation of Scutari by the Montenegrins. Such action would almost certainly mean, according to well-informed opinion here, a European conflagration.
    The efforts of Italy, therefore, are directed toward preventing the isolation of Austria-Hungary and toward convincing Montenegro of the necessity of complying with the decision of the conference of Ambassadors. If this cannot be accomplished the opinion prevails here that collective armed European intervention is inevitable.

    LONDON, Friday, April 25.—"Take immediate combined action to turn the Montenegrins out of Scutari or we shall do it alone," is the effect of the circular note sent by the Austro-Hungarian Government to the Powers composing the Concert of Europe. The note is virtually an ultimatum.
    Austria-Hungary declares that she cannot permit the Montenegrins to flout the decision of the great Powers. The prestige of the European nations has been violated, says the note, and Austria-Hungary demands that the Powers decide promptly on the steps to be taken to restore that prestige, adding that if the Powers should be unable to reach a speedy decision she will see to it herself that the will of Europe is respected and that the Montenegrins vacate Scutari.
    In diplomatic quarters in London the belief now prevails that Montenegro will yield to the Powers on the Scutari question, and it was reported last night that Montenegro had made an informal suggestion regarding a new frontier line, giving her territorial and other advantages, including possession of the town of Berdica and both banks of the Boyana River.
    The new frontier which, it is stated, Montenegro has proposed as compensation for the loss of Scutari would run northwest of Vraka through Koplik to Kaldrum on Lake Scutari. This slip of territory, although very mountainous, is important to Montenegro because it affords a natural road to Ipek, avoiding a great detour. From Berdica the line would run to the coast north of San Giovanni di Medua.
    According to the latest news, Austria has not stipulated any time limit for the evacuation of Scutari. It is reported that Austria has an expedition of 60,000 men completely organized to coerce Montenegro, if necessary.
    There were serious pro-Montenegrin demonstrations on the fall of Scutari among Austria's Slav subjects at Prague, Agram, and other cities. They were suppressed, and all similar demonstrations have been forbidden.